Count those smiles at moodwatchers

These days we all seem to be attached to our mobile phones. There are apps for everything, from navigation and online auctions to star maps and you can even turn your best friend into a zombie (so I’m told). And of course, there are loads of health related apps. The Department of Health recently ran a survey to find the nation’s favourite health app so I’ve been checking them out.

First on the list was moodscope, which uses a short card game to measure and track your mood everyday with the option to involve your friends to support you if you’re having a bad day. It works on the theory that continued monitoring improves performance – a bit like weight watchers or running with a pedometer – and, according to initial research by King’s College London, it seems that users are reporting a significant improvement in their mood. With long waiting lists for NHS talking therapies and the need for patients to understand mood patterns over a period of time this little app could help us monitor what makes us tick and create a more open forum to share our ups and downs.